


The Gala

by Emily_F6



Series: Penny Parker Prompts [35]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Female Peter Parker, Gen, Hurt Peter Parker, Parent Pepper Potts, Penny Parker - Freeform, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony Stark is Good With Kids
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-31
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:14:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 8,849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26205499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emily_F6/pseuds/Emily_F6
Summary: Penny Parker had never been a fan of Tony Stark.orPrompt: Penny protects Tony at a gala
Relationships: Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Peter Parker & Pepper Potts, Peter Parker & Tony Stark
Series: Penny Parker Prompts [35]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1899553
Comments: 54
Kudos: 678





	1. Part 1

Penny Parker had never been a fan of Tony Stark.

Her Aunt Pepper, related to her by friendship rather than blood, assured Penny when she came to live with her at thirteen at that she wouldn’t have to deal with paparazzi or the antics of the Avengers or anything like that...that she and her boss-slash-ex-boyfriend were on a break and that they would live in Pepper’s apartment and that everything would be fine. That Penny could live a normal life.

And it wasn’t that Penny hated the Avengers or even Tony Stark. She knew that they were superheroes, and that was pretty cool. But she also had years of memories of her godmother and best friend of her uncle Ben, who she’d lived with up until his murder in an alley in Queens, missing birthday parties and school concerts and academic decathlon meetings and graduations to cater to her boss’s every need. Pepper had also never brought Tony Stark to any of these events, leaving Penny to assume that the man had no interest in her Aunt Pepper’s family or friends even after they started dating. So yeah, the Avengers were fine and Iron Man was important and all that...they were heroes or whatever. But Penny wasn’t a huge fan of Tony Stark.

When she first came to live with Pepper, it had taken two months for her to officially meet the man, the myth, the legend. Pepper had been working late and had texted her after school to ask her to come to the Tower instead of going back to their apartment. Immediately, Penny had called her instead of texting back.

“Avengers tower?” she’d asked the moment her aunt had picked up the phone, a whine in her voice that she’d tried to hide.

“What...give me just a second, Tony,” her aunt had murmured before answering. “Yes, Avengers tower.”

“Do you want me to send someone to pick her up?” Tony Stark has asked from the background.

“No, that’s fine!” Penny had assured her quickly, tugging her sleeve over her webshooter as she’d slipped between people to get to the subway stairs. “I can just go back to the apartment! I’ll lock the doors...” 

“Penny, I’m going to be late and I don’t want you staying in that apartment by yourself all night.” Her aunt’s tone had been serious and apologetic, and Penny had sighed, knowing that this wasn’t an argument she could win. So much for patrols, she’d thought with a sigh. “I’ll be right there,” she’d grumbled a little, taking her webshooters off and stuffing them into her backpack.

That was another reason she didn't really want to meet Tony Stark. She had no idea if Spider-Girl had even registered on his radar yet...but her aunt had no idea and she didn’t want that to change. And she was certain that Tony Stark wouldn’t keep her secret. He had only been able to keep his own secret for, what, two weeks? And if Tony told Pepper...well, it wouldn’t go well, she was sure. As it was, she was getting away with patrolling after school on days when her guardian worked late. And Pepper usually worked until 7 or 8, giving Penny plenty of time to patrol and get home in time to make dinner for when her aunt got home. In fact, Penny was starting to think it was the perfect arrangement. Until Pepper decided to stay extra late to get more work done. 

So she had gone as requested.

As soon as she’d stepped into the building, a woman from reception had been there to escort her to the elevator, and then up to the floor where her aunt was working. Pepper had looked up from her tablet and had immediately left Tony Stark’s side, hurrying over to wrap her up in a hug with a sympathetic smile. “I’m sorry. I promise, I’ll try to get everything finished by midnight so we don’t have to stay over.”

“It’s fine.” Penny had hugged her back and shrugged, trying not to appear ungrateful. The woman had taken her in, and Penny was well aware that Pepper hadn’t asked for a kid. Had only agreed to take her in because of Ben. The last thing she wanted was to make Pepper mad...to make her regret any of it. “Tomorrow’s Saturday anyway so…”

“I promise, tomorrow, it's just you and me. We’ll get Thai for lunch and watch movies or go shopping...whatever you want. Promise. Pinky promise.” She had held out a pinky and Penny had laughed, wrapping her own little finger around it.

“Okay. Sounds good.” 

Penny hadn’t been upset about coming to the tower, exactly. She just would have preferred patrolling. And not meeting Iron Man. Because as cool as Avengers tower was, and as much of a hero Tony Stark was, the last thing she needed was to get on his radar. Not now. Not when she was hiding the biggest secret of her young life. 

Hovering behind her aunt’s shoulder had been Tony Stark himself, and her aunt had turned around, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and smiling a little ruefully. “Tony, this is my niece, Penny.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” Tony Stark had greeted, holding out a hand that she’d taken, doing her best to make sure she didn’t squeeze his hand too hard...or stick to him. He’d seemed genuine, though...like he really was happy to meet her, and Penny had wanted to ask, if he’d been so anxious to meet her, why he hadn’t come to any of their family events? Why had he kept her aunt from attending so many birthdays and decathlon meets and graduations? Of course, she hadn’t said any of that. Instead, she’d tried for a natural looking smile that didn’t show how much she was dreading this. 

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Stark.” 

His eyes had been soft and surprisingly kind as he’d shaken her and. “Mr. Stark was my father. It’s just Tony. Any family of Pepper’s is family of mine.”

Penny had seriously doubted that, considering the lack of evidence, but she’d just tried to maintain that smile as she’d nodded. 

“We’re going to be doing paperwork...Penny why don’t you work on your homework in the kitchen? Did you get something to eat after school?”

She’d shaken her head, and Tony Stark had stepped in once more. “There’s plenty of leftover lasagna in the fridge. I can throw it in the oven.” He had said it with such finality that Penny hadn’t argued, instead putting her backpack on the kitchen island and setting up her homework, thanking him without quite meeting his eye when he placed the plate in front of her. Later, as she’d been working on her homework and eating the (delicious) lasagna, Steve Rogers had shown up, and Penny had tried to make herself as small as possible in the kitchen. The last thing she needed was more contact with the Avengers. What if she ran into them on patrols? Not that that had happened yet, but it could! And what if they recognized her voice? So when Steve Rogers had held out a hand and smiled that earnest, all-American smile, Penny had given a quick ‘nice to meet you’ before going back to her homework. 

In the months since, Penny had been to the Avengers tower almost every Friday when her aunt was most likely to work late, and she’d met Sam Wilson and Clint Barton and Natasha Romanoff and James Rhodes, who everyone called Rhodey but who she insisted on addressing as Colonel Rhodes. And she was always polite, but also always standoffish. She didn’t want them remembering her voice, or connecting it with the voice of a vigilante who was getting kind of famous on Youtube. Penny would rather them assume she was rude than figure out who she really was. So she smiled and told them she was fine and that school was fine and asked how they were and disappeared to do her homework whenever possible in the guest room that Tony had offered to let her use. 

And then it was time for one of Stark Industries charity galas, and Pepper insisted that Penny come. They were standing in the kitchen of the tower after school on a Friday, which had become a day that Penny always spent at the tower. And she wasn’t thrilled, not with the pattern of staying at Avengers Tower every week, sometimes overnight, and not with her aunt’s insistence that she had to spend all night at this fancy party. 

“I can just stay home. Or I can go to Ned’s!” Penny cried, trying to keep her voice down. She knew that Tony and Steve Rogers were around somewhere, and she didn’t want to draw attention. 

“Penny, it’ll be fun,” Pepper tried to coax, and Penny felt like an ass. Her aunt Pepper looked tired. Worn down. And she was probably excited about the gala. Penny hadn’t been able to help noticing the way that Tony and Pepper had been acting, and she had to wonder if they were going to be getting back together soon, which was the very last thing she needed right now. And she felt horrible for even thinking that. Her aunt deserved to be happy! But...but if she lived at the tower...Tony Stark would find out. He’d know that she was a mutant and that she was sneaking out of the house and he’d find out about Spider-Girl.

And then he’d make her stop.

“Look, I know that things...that this isn’t what you were expecting when you came to live with me but…” Pepper trailed off and Penny felt tears of frustration fill her eyes. She didn’t want to do this. Didn’t want to fight with Pepper. “Baby…” the woman murmured, taking a step forward just as Tony turned the corner, hesitating in the doorway as though he’d stumbled upon something he wasn’t supposed to see. 

“Oh...I, um...is everything…”

Penny pulled away from Pepper and took a step toward Tony. “Can I go lay down? I don’t feel good,” she muttered, not meeting his gaze and instead staring at his ear, ever to to the left of his eyes.

The man stammered for a minute before nodding. “Um....of course...” He trailed off as Penny brushed past him, knowing that she was being rude and hating herself for it.

This was Iron Man. And as much as he’d kept Pepper away from her for so long, Pepper loved him, and he was a superhero, and...and in another life, this could all be so cool! It would be so fun to meet the Avengers and to get to know Tony Stark and maybe even be related to him! Maybe find out why he hadn’t been a part of her life when he was so close to her aunt and actually get to know him. Instead, because of this secret...because of one stupid decesion on a field trip that she alternatively regretted and thanked God for, she had to avoid him at all costs.

She was curled up on the bed when she finally heard him speak, his voice soft and wry. “So...she, uh...she really hates me, huh?”

“She doesn’t hate you, Tony.” Pepper, on the other hand, sounded tired. Penny was making her tired. Was causing her all this stress. “She’s...she’s just going through a rough patch. She just lost Ben and she’s living in a strange place and now I’m working all the time and I’m making her come here and...and she was worried about being able to just...just have a normal life.”

“If you need a vacation, you know you can have one.”

“I know…”

“Hell, why don’t we all take a vacation? The three of us? Go to the new beach house in Malibu and...and maybe we can get to know each other.”

That’s when it clicked for Penny. They were already back together.

“I mean,” Tony continued, “I want to try and make more of an effort. She’s your family.”

“It’s not your fault that you don’t know her,” Pepper sighed. “I’m the one who tried to keep...this, all of it, separate.” 

Penny furrowed her brow at that, sitting up in the bed. Pepper had been the one to keep Tony Stark out of her life? Why? Why hadn’t she wanted to introduce her boyfriend to her family? 

There was the soft sound of a kiss in the other room, and she put her hands over her ears, shaking her head and sighing. She didn’t want to eavesdrop anymore. Not on this. 

“Miss Parker?”

Penny jumped before remembering Friday, then removed her hands for a moment. “Um...yes?”

“You appear to be in some distress. Would you like me to soundproof the guest room?”

“That...yeah, actually. That would be great. Thanks.”

In the end, she went to the gala. 

As she stood there on the sidelines and watched the Avengers chat with members of the Stark Foundation, and watched her aunt as she played hostess to everyone who had been invited, she wondered if she might have misjudged Tony Stark. Sure, she’d known he was Iron Man. And she’d known that he did great things. But...but maybe he hadn’t kept Pepper away for all of those years. Maybe...maybe Pepper had her own reasons for keeping him away. And maybe...what if he did find out who she was? What could she do? 

Would he help her?

“Drink?” 

Tony’s voice startled her, and Penny looked up to find him standing close, the crowd pressing in around them, a glass of something in each hand. She started to make a joke, something about underage drinking coming to mind, before she reminded herself who this was. That she still didn’t know how he fit in her life, and how she fit in his. “Oh...um...thanks,” she stammered, taking it, and making sure not to spill any of the sparkling grape juice on her red dress. It was a nice dress...part of living with Pepper meant having really nice clothes sometimes, and it still felt strange to open her closet in her new room and see them. 

“Sure. I’m sorry you got roped into coming.”

“That...it’s fine. It’s…” She shrugged. “It’s not bad.”

“If you get bored and want to sneak back upstairs for a while, I’ll cover for you with Pepper.”

That brought a little smile to her face, and she huffed out a laugh. “She’ll see right through you. No one can lie to Pepper. Not even Iron Man”

He tilted his head with a small smile of his own, conceding the point. And then there was silence between them, heavy and a little awkward, and Penny wished she could escape. He was her aunt’s boyfriend. It was weird. And he was also Iron Man, and the person who, if he found her out, would hold her fate in his hands. What if he stopped her from being Spider-Girl? 

“I’m not sure if you know this, but...your aunt and I...we’re…”

“I know.” Penny Parker wondered if she’d ever seen the man so uncomfortable when his eyes went wide, and she cursed herself for just blurting that out. She could have at least pretended to be surprised. Still, she went on, not wanting to arouse suspicion. “I saw you kiss her.”

“Right.” The man pressed his lips together and nodded, sighing softly. “I just want you to know, I...I really...Pep is...she’s really important to me. And I want to ask her to marry me. And I know that that would mean making you a part of my family too. And…”

As he stammered on, Penny felt her skin grow cold, a warning shooting up and down her spine as she stiffened. 

Spidey sense.

Something was wrong.

“...and you would also be a part of that family…”

She was gripping his arms before she knew what she was doing, shoving him backward, dropping her own glass and making him drop his own. His eyes went huge, widening in confusion before cutting over to the person approaching from their left. And she knew he was going to try and stop it but it was happening too fast and she’d only had two options.

Watch him get stabbed or get him out of the way.

The knife plunged into her stomach, stabbing her twice in quick succession before the man dressed like a waiter stumbled away. She turned, kicking a foot out and swiping it under his feet, not thinking about how fast she was moving as she sent him tumbling to the ground. He started to scramble up, but Natasha Romanoff seemed to materialize from nowhere, a foot placed firmly on his chest. “Tony? Are you hit?” the spy demanded, but the man didn’t answer, only stared at Penny who felt suddenly strange.

He shook his head when she looked down at her dress, and at the blackness consuming the red. It had all been so fast. So close. There were so many people around them, all of them backing away as Tony reached out for her. She didn’t know what he was doing until her knees buckled and he was lowering her down to the ground, one hand gentle under her head. That’s when she saw it.

“Your shirt,” she whispered, breathless, looking at the red splotches there. Her blood had gotten on his shirt. How much did Tony Stark pay for a shirt? And what about her dress? The nonsensical thoughts flashed through her mind as she felt herself grow cold, and the pain in her stomach made itself known through the adrenaline and the numbness. 

He ignored her, whipping off his suit jacket as Sam Wilson, who she’d met exactly once while doing her homework and who she’d exchanged less than six words with, dropped to his knees beside them. She could hear Natasha leading people away...it was so quiet. Everyone was so quiet, even though it sounded like, far away, someone screamed. 

“...got her twice…”

“...lot of blood...need…”

“Ambulance?” 

Why was everyone whispering? There was blood roaring in her ears and she was suddenly so cold. There was something under her head...the suit jacket, she realized when her breath caught, tears that she didn’t remember shedding leaving cold tracks on her cheeks. Tony’s suit jacket. It was under her head. He’d put it under her head.

“Tony?” she asked, knowing that Pepper had to be nearby. That she had to be on her way over.

“Right here, kid,” he murmured, words almost too faint for her to hear, asd she focused on him. Sam was pressing his hands on her stomach, making it hurt worse, and more tears fell. His face was closer than Sam’s, and she realized he was leaning in, his hand holding hers. “You’re okay. We’re going to get you to the hospital. You’re…”

“No...no hospital,” she urged, shaking her head. She couldn’t go to a hospital. People couldn’t know. And if it took trusting Tony Stark to make that happen, then she’d have to risk it. “I’m…” Her eyes started to close but she couldn’t let that happen. Couldn’t fall asleep before telling him. “Spider-Girl...I’m...mutant...don’t tell...please…” 

His huge, shocked brown eyes set in a face that seemed to be drained of blood were the last things she saw before the world drifted away and she was asleep. 

Penny heard voices before she woke up. The voice of her aunt and Tony...but she had no idea what they were saying, or how to make sense of the words being murmured back and forth. She thought she made out the word hospital, and for a moment, she was confused. Was she in a hospital? That thought seemed strange before everything clicked. Hospital. Mutant. She was a mutant. She couldn’t go to the hospital! 

Suddenly there was a soft noise, like an alarm, and a hand slipped into her her’s. Pepper’s.

“Penny? Baby, can you hear me?”

“Pepper?” she murmured, voice slurring.

“I’m right here, honey. You’re okay. Everything’s okay. You’re in the medbay. At the tower.”

Right. Tower. She’d told Tony. She’d told him who she was. And now surely Pepper knew too. But Penny couldn’t stay awake. Couldn’t even get her eyes to open. So she drifted back into darkness. 

The next time she woke, it was almost instant, her eyes opening before she had realized that she was awake. The first thing she saw was the ceiling, and she stared at it for a moment before turning her head and finding Pepper in a recliner that was laid all the way back. Her aunt was sound asleep, her face scrubbed of makeup, and instead of the blue dress she’d been wearing the last time Penny had seen her, she was in sweats and a t-shirt that looked too big for her.

“Penny?” The voice was soft but it still startled her as she turned her head to find Tony Stark in another chair at her bedside. She started to sit up, but the pain in her stomach forced her back down onto her back, and his hand moved to rest on her shoulder, holding her down. In her state, she realized she was weak enough that it worked. “Easy, kiddo. Just stay still, okay? Your healing is pretty impressive, but it’s only been a few hours.”

That had Penny closing her eyes, a sigh of defeat escaping her. “Does Pepper know?”

“Yeah. Sorry, Penny. Really...I am. But I couldn't keep her from taking you to the hospital without telling her why.” 

Penny sighed again, wishing she could go back to sleep. Wishing she could deal with all of this later when her stomach didn’t hurt and when she didn’t feel so tired. But the man continued to talk. 

“How did you know that man was going to try and attack me?”

She shrugged, not seeing any reason to lie anymore. “Weird sense. Tells me when bad things are going to happen. The same thing happened with Ben.” Her voice was flat. Dead. And the man reached out, resting his hand on hers. She allowed it, even found herself feeling comforted. He’d been nothing but kind to her so far. Had so obviously been trying to connect with her. And she’d turned him away every time. “I’m sorry.”

“What for?” he asked, sounding confused.

“You kept trying to be nice. But...I was afraid that you would find out.” 

“That you were Spider-Girl?” She nodded. “Yeah...well, that...that was a shock,” he admitted. “I assumed you just hated me on principle, so…”

“I didn’t hate you.” Penny reached up with her free hand, wiping absently at her eyes. “I...I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us. With Ben and me.” Penny stared at the wall as she spoke, not sure why she was confiding in him like this, but not putting a stop to it. “You were never at family things. Even when you guys started dating. So...when I went to live with Pepper...I don’t know. It just seemed easier to stay away. But then I heard you and Pepper talking. And she was saying it was her that kept you away.”

She saw him nod in the corner of her eye, his own face just as tired as Pepper’s had been. “She was worried for your safety. And for Ben’s. She was afraid that if someone found out that you knew Iron Man…” he trailed off, waving the hand not resting on hers, and Penny turned to look at him, surprised. “She never told me before. Every time I asked, she’d give some excuse. I don’t blame her, though. It’s dangerous, being close to a superhero.”

“Wait, you asked?” Penny turned to him, surprised making her forget to keep her voice down. He just nodded.

“Of course I did. I’m sorry I never got to meet her brother.” Penny started to say that Ben hadn’t really been her brother, but in every way, he had. He had been Pepper’s brother. And just that thought made Penny’s chest ache. Pepper had lost him too. “But, I’m glad I got to meet her niece.” His smile was genuine as he squeezed her hand, and she tried for a smile despite the pain and the uncertainty.

“Is she mad?” Penny all but whispered, and he gave her hand another squeeze.

“At the man that stabbed her niece? Yes. Very much so. As are the Avengers. Turns out, they’re all pretty fond of you. But at you? No. She’s not mad.”

“I lied to her.”

“Yeah...you did. And she’s scared out of her mind that something could have happened to you before...that something could still happen to you. And somehow, reminding her that her boyfriend was also a superhero didn’t help.” Penny snorted a laugh at that. It hurt, but it was worth it. “But Natasha offered to do a little training with you, if that was okay, so you’d be better at defending yourself. And Sam said he might join you on patrols. Steve told her that he’d been thinking about inviting Spider-Girl to join the Avengers anyway, which was a lie, for the record. It was my idea to recruit Spider-Girl. And I told her that I saw what you could do on Youtube...that you had some serious skills. But that you needed a complete redesign, and that maybe, when you were feeling better, you could give me a hand in the lab. That we could see if we can design you something a little more substantial than a onesie.”

“It’s not a onesie!” Penny muttered, barely noticing the words. The Avengers had offered to get behind her...train her. Help her. “What...what did Pepper say?”

“She said she’d think about it.” Tony smiled with a half shrug. “Either way, I’ve got your back kid. You saved my life, so the least I can do is try to get Pep on our side.” He reached out, ruffling her hair. “I owe you one, kiddo. Seriously. I mean, you shouldn’t have done it. And you practically gave me a heart attack. But still. I owe you one.” He seemed to notice her eyes drifting shut, despite the fact that she wanted to stay awake for this...that she wanted to know what the Avengers had said and how exactly her Aunt had reacted. Instead, she found herself drifting off once again. “Ah. That would be the pain medicine kicking in. Don’t worry, kiddo. We’ll both be here when you wake you.”

And that was how Penny Parker realized that maybe Tony Stark wasn’t so bad after all. In fact, she thought as she drifted away, she might even be able to see him as family one day.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prompt: Harry tries to charm Penny at a gala

Harry Osborn didn’t want to be here. Didn’t want to be at Tony Stark’s Holiday Gala or whatever it was called. Didn’t want to meet the Avengers or watch his dad try to smooze and try and fail to steal contacts right out from under Tony Stark’s nose. He didn’t want to spend his whole night standing in the corner with a bunch of adults he didn’t know who, for the most part, either hated or distrusted his dad. It wasn’t even that he blamed his dad. His dad was an asshole. But he had other things he would much rather be doing. Like sitting in his bedroom. Or drinking bleach. 

Okay, so maybe he was being dramatic. But he had a paper due at the end of this holiday break, and his head was killing him and honestly an hour spent working on his homework would have been preferable. 

“Aren’t you Norman Osborn’s son?” The voice jerked him out of his thoughts and Harry forced a smile that he hoped looked somewhat friendly. Or at least not outright miserable. 

“I am. Harry Osborn. Nice to meet you,” he greeted the older woman and clasped the hand she held out. “Nice to meet you.”

Once the lady was gone, he ran a hand through his hair and made his way across the room to the drinks table. At least he could try to get a drink. He doubted that Tony Stark would have hired someone that would be willing to serve a minor alcohol, especially considering what had happened several months ago. He’d only gotten the official version...the story from the news. Pepper Potts’ daughter had been stabbed after pushing him out of the way of an attacker. And she’d recovered. He hadn’t learned anything else about her, other than her name. Penelope Parker. 

He wondered if Penelope Parker was at this party, and if she was, what she was like. Pepper Potts’ daughter...well, adopted daughter? Harry didn’t know all the details. As he approached the table, slipping behind someone he thought was Hawkeye, the music soft in the background, he wondered if Penelope Parker went to school around here. Or was she homeschooled? Had he ever run into her in the city? He’d never thought to google her. 

Maybe he should.

The lady working behind the bar handed him his requested cherry coke and he was taking a sip when he turned, and the sip caught in his throat, nearly choking him.

The girl standing next to Tony Stark was a few inches shorter than him, and instead of wearing heels like most of the women, she wore flats. Her short brown hair was curly, touching the bottoms of her ears. Her dress was blue and brushed her knees, and Harry found his eyes trailing from her knees to her shoulders to her face...her face. Her lips were pink and shiny and she was laughing softly at something Iron Man was saying, reaching up and pushing some of her hair behind her ear, revealing long, dangling earrings that, if he knew Tony Stark and Pepper Potts, had to be real diamonds. He caught a flash of her teeth when she laughed, and Tony Stark smiled at her, softer than Harry had ever seen the man as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

She was the most beautiful girl Harry had ever seen. 

He’d heard of people falling in love at first sight. And he had always thought it was stupid. You couldn’t fall in love with someone without knowing them. But looking at her smile and her fingers tucking her hair back and hearing her soft laugh, he felt his heart literally skip a beat, a strange warmth filling his whole chest. 

A man it took Harry a moment to recognize as Steve Rogers approached the two of them, and she smiled at him too. More than anything, Harry wanted her to smile at him like that, familiar and happy. Tony Stark put his hands in his pockets and Steve Rogers said something Harry didn’t catch and then the girl was moving in his direction and Harry’s heart stopped altogether. Tony Stark was talking to Captain America but all Harry could see was her...her eyes that scanned the room like she was on the lookout for trouble. 

And then her eyes met his. And the whole world stopped on its axis. Moving on autopilot, Harry tried to lean against the bar and took a drink, trying his best to look normal. Casual. 

“Wow. I didn’t think Tony invited people my age to these things,” the girl said, and her voice was perfect too. 

Harry opened his mouth to reply, praying that something witty came out, but to his horror, he’d forgotten to swallow, and the cherry coke spilled down his chin and the front of his shirt. Horror choked him and he coughed, staring down at his shirt that was covered in sticky soda. The girl’s lips turned up in a tiny smile as she seemed to fight a giggle, her mouth dropping open, a tiny ‘oh’ escaping her mouth. 

And then a tiny giggle escaped and Harry felt his whole face catch fire. Immediately the girl was contrite. “Oh god…I’m so sorry...are you...um...here!” The girl reached over the bar and grabbed a pile of napkins, reaching out and dabbing at his shirt. She was touching him. She was dabbing his shirt and looking flustered and amused and embarrassed and Harry brought his hand up and captured her wrist. The girl froze, looking up at him with wide-eyes, and her wrist was so small. 

“I’m Harry,” he blurted. “Harry Osborn.”

Her lips turned up into a real smile and she lifted an eyebrow. “Osborn? As in…”

“Norman’s son. Yeah,” Harry told her, unable to help the bitterness in his own voice. She softened.

“I’m Penny. Parker. Pepper Potts is my godmother.”

“You...you’re Penelope,” he half-whispered, forgetting about the soda.

“Yeah.”

“You saved Tony Stark. You...you were stabbed!”

“Barely,” Penny waved him off, still smiling. “Nice to meet you, Harry.”

“You...uh...you too.” 

“I really am sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh.” She looked at his shirt again, then looked around, as if checking to make sure they weren’t being watched. “Come on.”

Harry blinked. “What?”

She smiled, a mischievous smile, and his heart flipped in his chest. “Come on,” she urged again, reaching out and taking his hands, her fingers slipping into his. He nodded, dumbstruck, and followed on numb legs as she led him to a side door and into a hallway he didn’t feel like he was allowed to be in. Still, all thoughts of homework and his father had flown out of his mind as the two of them stepped into an elevator.

“Fri, take us to the penthouse.”

“Of course, Penny.”

Harry blinked again, mouth dry. The penthouse? As in...Iron Man’s penthouse?

It wasn’t that Harry hadn’t been in a fancy penthouse before. Hell, he’d lived in one for half of his life. But this...this belonged to Iron Man. And Penny toed off her shoes, revealing her toenails which were painted black and covered in spiderwebs. He stared at them for a moment before she followed his eyes and laughed a little self-consciously. 

“My friend MJ loves to practice her nail art on me,” she told him with a little laugh, opening one of the drawers in the kitchen. “I know Pepper keeps a tide pen around here…”

“Penny, please tell me you didn’t sneak a boy up here...please tell me I’m not interrupting something,” a familiar voice called, and Penny snorted when Iron Man himself stepped into the kitchen. “Come on, Pen. How the hell am I supposed to explain this to your aunt?”

The girl laughed and she held up the little red tide pen. “He spilled his drink. I accidentally snuck up on him.” 

It was a lie, but Harry appreciated the attempt to save his dignity.

Harry jumped up, remembering himself and holding out his hand. “Sorry, sir, uh Mr. Stark. I’m...uh...I’m Harry.” He thought about leaving off the last name but Tony Stark was staring at him, eyebrows raised, head tilted, and so Harry went on. “Osborn. Harry Osborn.” He said it with lowered eyes, sure that he’d be kicked out of the penthouse any minute, but then Tony Stark reached out, gripping his hand and giving him a friendly smile.

“It’s just Tony. Sir makes me feel old. So does Mr. Stark. And my age. Nice to meet you.”

“You too.”

Tony looked down at his shirt and waved Penny away when she approached with a tide pen. “Sorry, kiddo. Tide pen isn’t going to cut it. Come on, Harry. I’ve got a shirt that I’m sure will fit you. We’ll throw that one in the wash.”

“Can I order Thai food!” Penny called from the kitchen as Tony led Harry away, beside him, Iron Man laughed and spun around to look at the girl standing by the barstools, Tide Pen still in her hand.

“There’s literally a party going on downstairs.”

“A party with no food,” she shot back.

“There are hors d’oeuvres!” 

“Hors d’oeuvres are not food.”

“They are, by definition, food.”

Penny rolled her eyes. “Do you want me to order enough for you?”

The man laughed and turned, leading Harry toward the hallway. “There’s plenty of food downstairs.”

“Fine. Harry, what do you want?”

“I…” he stammered, looking up at Tony Stark who grinned. 

“Get us both Pad Thai. How’s that sound?” he asked Harry who nodded, turning back to glance at Penny who nodded, pulling out her phone. “And get enough for Pepper too.”

“Already done.” 

Tony Stark dug around his closet, coming out with a shirt that he handed to Harry, and he changed as quickly as he could while Harry pulled the new shirt on and retied his tie. Hopefully, his father wouldn’t even notice. When they reentered the living room, the TV was playing a Disney movie and Penny was sitting on the sofa, bare feet up on an ottoman. 

“The gala is still happening, you know. Remember? The gala? Big party downstairs. Thrown by my company. Ringing any bells?” Tony asked, walking by and ruffling her hair, and Penny laughed, swatting him away.

“You finally invited someone my age. And I made him spill his drink. The least I can do is buy him dinner…”

“With my credit card,” Tony interjected with an easy smile as he pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and held it out to Harry. An offering. Harry nodded, hesitant, and Tony tossed it to him as Penny went on.

“...and get him out of standing around with a bunch of boring adults talking about your company. No offense.”

“Yeah, none taken.” Tony pulled out two more bottles of water and tossed one to Penny, then took a swig of his own. “I’d better head back down. Put my Thai in the fridge?”

“Will do!” she called, then Tony Stark was gone and Harry was standing in the kitchen like a robot waiting to be activated and Penny threw her arm over the back of the sofa and gave him a rueful smile. “Sorry...I kind of abducted you. You can go back down to the party if you want.”

“No!” Immediately he knew that his voice was too loud and he lowered it, fiddling with the cap of his water. “I mean...uh, I was bored anyway. Not that it was boring, I just…” Harry huffed and ran a hand through his hair. 

“Do you want to watch a movie and eat Thai food?”

Harry nodded, feeling the knot of anxiety in his stomach start to loosen. This was fine. She was a pretty girl. He’d met lots of pretty girls. This was nothing. Just a movie and Thai food with a stranger. But it was better than being at that party downstairs. So he tried for nonchalance as he sat down on the sofa an appropriate distance from her. “Yeah. Sounds good.”

And that was the night that Harry Osborn fell for Penny Parker.


	3. Part 3

When Tony's girlfriend had informed him that her dearest friend, Ben Parker, had died, Tony never would have been able to predict the events that would come to pass as a result. Of course, he knew that Pepper and Ben had grown up together, and that Ben had custody of his niece and Pepper's goddaughter, Penelope. He also knew that Pepper had silently enforced a barrier between him and the people in her life who were practically family. And he got it. He had always understood. And he'd looked at the occasional picture on her phone of the growing little girl that she loved so much, and of birthday parties and band recitals and Academic Decathlon practices. He also paid for her to attend Midtown when she got in. Well...he funded an anonymous scholarship for which he chose the winners.

And Penelope had been one of the winners.

When he'd met the girl, he'd been sure that she didn't like him. That she wanted nothing to do with either himself or the Avengers, which was kind of strange considering they were famous and also that Penny seemed to have an interest in science and chemistry and engineering...all of which he was pretty decent with if he did say so himself. Still, he'd tried to remember that she'd just lost her uncle, and that her life had been disrupted in the worst way. And the Avengers had followed suit, giving the girl space but always being friendly.

And then the girl had saved his life. Shoved him out of the way of a man with a knife before begging him not to take her to the hospital...confiding in him that she was Spider-Girl, the spider-themed vigilante from Youtube. And everything had changed for the better.

Pepper had finally agreed to move in with him, uprooting Penny again, but this time she hadn't seemed to mind so much. In fact, she seemed to love life at the tower, hanging out with the Avengers and training and having girls' nights with Wanda and Natasha and Pepper. She joined him in his lab sometimes, pouring over her web fluid and helping him with his suits and the two of them sometimes did experiments together after she finished her homework. Never in his life had he thought about having kids, much less a little girl. Much much less a little girl with spider-powers who swung around the city fighting bad guys in a suit he'd designed for her. But he found that he didn't mind. Not at all. In fact, he loved the kid. Loved hanging out with her and loved seeing her around the tower, doing her homework or watching TV.

And he knew the Avengers liked her too. Training with her and getting to know her...protecting her, it seemed to draw them all together in a way they hadn't ever before. For the first time, they actually started to feel like a family.

Pepper had already adopted Penny. And if Tony had his way, he and Pepper would be married within the next year or so, and then he would see if she wanted him to adopt her too. He had a family. A real family. And day by day, he was starting to realize that he was nothing like his father.

That was why he clocked Harry Osborn staring at Penny the moment the boy laid eyes on her. It was like some kind of weird parental instinct rearing it's useful head, and before Penny had ever seen the boy, Tony had shot him a glance. The boy had been standing at the bar, holding what Tony had to assume was a coke because there was no way his staff would ever give a minor alcohol, but, to Tony's surprise, it hadn't been youthful lust on the boy's face. That, Tony would have had to nip right in the bud.

No. It hadn't been lust. It had been awe. And Tony had known it, because that was the way he'd felt when he'd seen Pepper at that party so many years ago, his eyes tracing her face and her hair and that blue dress. Harry's mouth had gone slack, his fingers so loose around the drink that Tony had wondered if he was going to drop it. And then Steve had walked up and Penny had excused herself to get a drink and Tony hadn't let his attention wander for one second. The laser focus had been worth it, because the moment Penny had approached the boy, he'd taken a sip of his drink, only to spill it all over himself as soon as Penny had spoken to him.

And Tony had felt himself soften.

But just because he understood, and just because he thought Harry Osborn's puppy love was cute, didn't mean he was going to let the two of them go upstairs without any supervision. Sure, Penny was a superhero. And yes, she was stronger than most of the Avengers combined. But she was still his kid. So Tony had taken the elevator up to the penthouse right behind them, only to find Penny trying to the stain out of his shirt, smoothly covering for him, and Harry looking starstruck and a little embarrassed.

He'd left the kids to eat Thai food and to watch TV not long after, checking in with Friday every few minutes to make sure everything was staying innocent. And it had. The two of them had just watched TV and chatted and had eaten their dinner before slipping back down to join the adults. And then Harry had gone home.

Only that wasn't the end of it, because the two of them hadn't stopped texting. And Tony knew this because…

Okay, fine, it was because he'd caught a glimpse of her phone and he'd seen Harry's name and then he'd asked Friday and Friday had hacked into her phone but that had felt like way too big of a breach in privacy so he'd just asked her outright. And then she'd told him that they'd exchanged numbers and kept in touch. Also that they were sending each other TikToks whatever the hell that meant.

(Friday informed him that TikTok was a social media platform full of short videos and that had appeased his worry a little.)

All of that had been a few months ago, and it was time for another Stark Industries Gala, which never failed to make Penny roll his eyes like the teenager she was. "How many galas does your company have to throw a year?" Penny asked as Pepper scrolled through images on her tablet, the two of them working to pick out a dress which was a process Penny seemed to have little patience for.

"Well, we have our annual charity gala, the Christmas gala, the Halloween extravaganza…"

Penny snorted. "You're making that up."

He shrugged, a grin breaking through as he reached out, ruffling her hair. "It could be a real thing. All of our galas are for charity, if that helps."

The girl rolled her eyes again, but seemed appeased, and so Tony decided to push a little. "So...do you think Harry Osborn will be there?"

Without missing a beat, Penny nodded. "Yeah, he said that you invited his dad again, so he's gotta come too. Oh, can we order pizza this time? We were talking about movies and he's never seen Frozen!"

Pepper laughed under her breath and Tony grinned. "So...you and Harry, huh?"

It took the girl a moment to catch on to his tone, and when she did, Penny wrinkled her nose. "We're just friends, Tony," she told him, dismissive and all-knowing as only teenagers could be.

Tony didn't push anymore. Instead, he took a seat at the counter beside Pepper and tried to help them pick out a dress before Pepper shooed him away.

When Penny came into the room in her black dress, Tony forgot about Harry for a moment, and the worry that had been building in his stomach ever since the two of them had started texting. Pepper had laughed a little at his concern when he'd brought it up a few days ago, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Honey, she's sixteen."

"I know but…"

"Tony, I love you, and I know you love Penny, but teenagers date sometimes."

"But...you know how teenage boys are!"

"I do. And I also know how Penny is. And how strong Penny is. And how smart Penny is."

Tony had let it go. And then, watching Penny step into the room, every bit of worry left his mind for just a moment. Because Penny...she was like his daughter. And she was looking up at him, a little shy and a little hopeful, hands clasped in front of her. He loved her so much. So much more than he'd ever thought he was capable of loving a kid that he thought of as his own. Because his father...his father had been a dick. A brilliant man and a shitty father. And as Tony looked at Penny, the girl looking up at him and obviously waiting for his approval, he wondered how his father could have done it. How he could have looked at his own son and...and not felt any of this? Any of this love and fondness and worry and hope?

"So...what do you think? Am I presentable enough for the fifteenth Stark Industries Gala this year?"

Tony chuckled and reached out, pushing some of her curly hair back behind her ear and then resting it on her shoulder. "You look beautiful," he told her softly, and she flushed, a small smile turning the corners of her lips.

"I'm getting a lot of practice playing dress up," she murmured with a shrug. "Since you have one of these every month."

"Then you're welcome," he grinned, putting an arm around her and squeezing her to his side. "So, speaking of playing dress up, how are patrols going?"

"Good. I was giving an old lady directions and she bought me a churro."

"Cool. You've upgraded to tour guide."

She snorted. "How dare you! I'm practically an Avenger!"

"Oh really? Says who?"

"Says...Steve." The way she said it was more of a question,

"He did not."

"He totally could have."

Tony gave her a gentle shove and headed off to change into his own suit. "He did not, and if he did, I'm kicking him off the Avengers."

"Why couldn't I be an Avenger?"

"You're a junior Avenger at best. Friendly neighborhood Spider-kid. Basically our mascot." And he closed the door to his bedroom, shooting Pepper a smile as she shook her head and laughed.

The gala started at seven, and like magnets, Penny and Harry seemed drawn to each other, and Tony tried not to notice. Tried to focus on his own conversations rather than the fact that the girl he thought of as his daughter was wandering upstairs with Harry Osborn, who happened to be the son of one of Tony's least favorite people. But he still checked in with Friday after the two of them stuck upstairs. And had Friday give him regular updates. And checked the video feed from the living room to make sure they were 'leaving room for Jesus,' as one of the chaperones in his boarding school had once put it.

Finally, the gala was coming to an end, and Tony checked the living room feed again, hoping to warn the kids that Harry's dad was going to be looking for him, but the living room was empty. Frowning, he switched the feed to the kitchen, only to find that too was empty. Surely...surely they weren't...in her bedroom. He opened his mouth to ask Friday where she was when he happened to glance over at the elevator...that that's when he spotted them.

Penny and Harry were standing in the corridor, their faces close together as they whispered things Tony couldn't hear. He started to approach...started to tell Harry that his dad was probably looking for him. But that's when Harry took a step forward, a hand cupping Penny's cheek, then pressed his lips to hers.

For a moment, Tony was rooted to the spot, jaw dropping, eyes going wide. Penny, too, seemed rooted to the spot, and Tony was about three seconds from storming over and shoving Harry Osborn away from his daughter when the girl relaxed, her own hand coming up to Harry's shoulder, and Tony took that as his cue to turn away, heading back to the party.

Later that night, the three of them sat on the sofa, Penny and Pepper in pajamas, their feet on the ottoman, Pepper's head on Tony's shoulder, and Penny staring down at her phone rather than the TV. Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she smiled, a flush covering her cheeks before she turned to look at Tony who quickly turned his attention back to the show they had all agreed on. He wanted to ask. He wanted to know that she was really okay with this. That she liked Harry and trusted him, and that Harry treated her right. And that she knew to be careful and that she could always come to him if she needed to.

Instead, he ran his fingers through Pepper's hair, turning and pressing a kiss to her head as she snuggled closer to him. Penny was sixteen. She was the smartest kid he'd ever met. Most importantly, he knew that she could handle herself. And if she needed him, she would come to him. In the meantime, he just wanted to enjoy the family he'd never thought he'd have.

**Thank you for reading!**


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